In general, a session between a first terminal and a service provider or between the first terminal and a second terminal in a network based on an IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) is controlled to be performed by an application server.
Recently, users use various types of terminals (e.g., a portable terminal, a TV, a computer, and the like), research into a technique that may be able to transfer/copy a portion or the entirety of a media flow constituting a session ongoing through a user's first terminal to the user's second terminal has been conducted.
Transfer, move, or copy a portion or the entirety of a media flow constituting a session is known as inter-UE transfer (IUT).
Such IUT may be performed between terminals (or UEs) belonging to different users, as well as between terminals belonging to one user, and recently, EGPP Release 10 has researched it. Thus, family members, business members, social network members may share information, work together, or enjoy entertainment using IUT. IUT will be described with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a conceptual view illustrating related art IUT.
Referring to the left portion of FIG. 1(a), a first user owns a plurality of terminals (or UEs), e.g., UE-1 UE-2, and UE-3 as illustrated. The first user is performing a session including audio and video media with a remote end (or remote party), e.g., a service provider, through the UE-1. An SCC AS (Service Centralization and Continuity Application Server) handling controlling of such a session is illustrated.
In this situation, the first user wants to perform the session with the remote end through his UE-2 and UE-3, respectively. For example, on the assumption that the UE-1 is a cellular phone, the UE-2 is an earset or a headset having a communication function, and the UE-3 is a headup display (HUD) having a communication function, the first user wants to perform the audio media session through the earset or the headset and perform the video media session through the headup display with the remote end.
Then, as illustrated in the right portion of FIG. 1(a), in the session including the audio and video media currently performed through the UE-1, the audio media flow is transferred to the UE-2 and the video media flow is transferred to the UE-3. Here, even after the audio and video media flows are transferred to the UE-2 and the UE-3, respectively, the UE-1 maintains authority to control the media flows as it is.
In this case, the UE-1 is called a controller UE, while the UE-2 and the UE-3 are called controllee UEs. The session which includes the audio and video media and in which the UE-1, UE-2, and UE-3 are participating is called a collaborative session.
Meanwhile, referring to the left portion of FIG. 1(b), the first user is performing the session regarding the audio media through the UE-2 and the session regarding the video media through the UE-3.
Here, the UE-1 has authority to control the audio media flow of the UE-2 and the video media flow of the UE-3, but as illustrated in the right portion of FIG. 1(b), the UE-1 transfers its authority to control to the UE-2. Thus, the UE-2 includes the audio and video media and is a controller UE with respect to the collaborative session in which the UE-2 and the UE-3 are participating.
Meanwhile, the IUT is a concept of a transfer between a plurality of UEs of the same user, but, broadening the concept, research is ongoing to transfer a portion or the entirety of a media flow and/or a service control authority to a terminal belonging to a different user has also been conducted.
In order for the UE-1 to perform the IUT operation, whether or not the respective target terminals, e.g., the UE-2 and UE-3 have been registered to a network may be required to be known.
Also, in order for the UE-1 to perform the IUT operation, information regarding capability of the respective target terminals, e.g., the foregoing UE-2 and UE-3, e.g., hardware resource information (i.e., information regarding a speaker microphone, a camera, and a screen), hardware configuration information (e.g., resolution information, etc.), information regarding supportable media, codec information, and the like, may be required.
Meanwhile, referring to the left portion of FIG. 1(c), the first user owns a plurality of terminals (or UEs), e.g., UE-1 UE-2, and UE-3 as illustrated. The first user is performing a session including audio and video media through the UE-1.
In this situation, the first user wants to transfer the session ongoing through his UE-1 to the UE-3.
Then, as illustrated in the right portion of FIG. 1(c), the session including the audio and video media performed currently through the UE-1 is transferred to the UE-3. Also, authority to control the session is also transferred from the UE-1 to the UE-3. Thus, since the audio and video media constituting the session have all been transferred to the UE-3, a collaborative session is not generated.
So far, the transfer of the entirety or a portion of the session has been described.